The MX Book - Sherlockian Interview - Jeffrey A Lockwood

The MX Book of New Sherlock Holmes Stories -  Volumes XXXI-XXXIII is currently running on Kickstarter and we're interviewing the contributors. Next up is Jeffrey A Lockwood

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself, and your story.

I grew up in New Mexico and spent my youthful afternoons darkly enchanted by feeding grasshoppers to black widow spiders the backyard, which accounts for my scientific and literary affinities. I earned a doctorate in entomology and worked as an ecologist at the University of Wyoming before metamorphosing into a Professor of Natural Sciences & Humanities in the departments of philosophy and creative writing. I consider Sherlock Holmes a model of scientific prowess, integrating exquisite observational skills with incisive abductive (not deductive) reasoning. Given my background, I find myself drawn to pastiches that involve elements of the biological sciences, in which Holmes takes advantage of Watson’s biomedical knowledge.

2. Why did you want to participate in this project?

I was attracted to this project for three reasons. First, I am enchanted by tales of Sherlock Holmes, as these are wondrous escapes in the evening from the increasingly disturbing news of the day—and we all need to sometimes find even imaginary places for a bit of sanctuary. Second, MX Publishing is the world leader in terms of the quality and quantity of Sherlockian books. And third, MX Publishing combines business acumen and professionalism with a profound moral sense, using its financial capacities to address the unmet needs of children in the UK and Africa, as well as contributing to the search for solutions to hunger and cancer. It is genuinely rewarding for an author to work with a top-flight publisher who is doing first-rate work in support of social needs.

3. What are your current and upcoming projects?

I am continuing to write Sherlockian pastiches, of course. But I’m also working on a collection of short stories that take the personalities of Holmes and Watson and transform them into a modern-day duo in San Francisco in the forms of an owner of a pest control company and his leading technician, who are drawn into all sorts of intriguing and unusual cases involving insects and other unwanted creatures. After all, an entomologist who is enchanted by the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle can’t help but imagine what it would be like if Sherlock Holmes was reincarnated as an exterminator!

4. Any last thoughts?

To paraphrase a fellow philosopher, humans eat in order to live, but we live in order to tell stories. So, it is appropriate that MX Publishing attends to both providing food and stories to the world.

You can read more on the Jeffrey A Lockwood website.